DETROIT – The Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, Silverado pickup and the Cadillac CTS were named finalists for the North American Car and Truck of the Year awards here, capping a remarkable two days where the automaker named the first woman CEO in the history of the auto industry and saw the government divest the last of its ownership of the company.

The Acura MDX and Jeep Cherokee also were named as finalists in the truck category and the Mazda3 also was named finalist for car of the year.

GM’s Cadillac ATS won North American Car of the Year last year while Chrysler won Truck of the Year honors for the Ram 1500 pickup.

This year’s finalists were chosen from an initial field of 46 new cars, trucks and cross/utility vehicles.

The NACTOY awards are unique because, instead of being given out by a specific group or media outlet, they are chosen by 48 automotive journalists representing a wide variety of media, including WardsAuto.

The vehicles will be tested on suburban roads in Adelaide, the state capital, at the same time the South Australian government hosts an international conference to discuss driverless-vehicle technology and regulation....More

Engineers and designers from ZF and the former TRW have been sharing notes, exchanging ideas and identifying best practices, and some of the resulting technologies will be ready for market in the near future....More

Ann Arbor’s Mcity test track includes four traffic lights, an underpass, metal bridge deck, gravel roadways and parking spaces that are angled, perpendicular and parallel. Efforts are under way to open a similar but larger facility nearby in Ypsilanti....More

Located on the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor, Mcity is a $10 million 32-acre (13-ha) test track with roundabouts, bike lanes, a tree canopy and 4-way intersections to simulate small-town traffic situations.

I-GAME’s focus is on cooperative solutions and the scenarios for next year’s competition during Dutch Technology Week have been selected to highlight situations where cooperation is superior to autonomy....More

Similar to the LS9 small-block V-8, GM integrates the intercooler of the LF3 V-6 inside the V of the engine instead of mounting it remotely. That reduces compressed-air travel and shaves turbo lag to minimal levels....More